Disorders of the long head of the biceps tendon are a common source of shoulder pain and may occur in association with other diagnoses such as rotator cuff tears, superior labrum anterior posterior tears, impingement syndrome and capsular injuries, or may be present as an isolated source of shoulder pain. The treatment options for disorders of the long head of the biceps (LHB) continue to evolve and can include LHB tenodesis. In a tenodesis procedure, a suture is passed through the base of the LHB to locate the LHB in the subacromial space and to provide proximal control during the dissection. Once the suture is placed, the LHB is cut near the glenoid attachment. A sizer can be used to measure the tendon size and to thereby determine the appropriately sized bone screw. Once the screw is selected, a bone hole is drilled and a tendon fork is then used to push the tendon down into the bone hole. A bone screw is then delivered into the bone hole to anchor the tendon within the bone hole.
While current procedures can provide an effective means for anchoring a tendon to a bone, they can suffer several drawbacks. For example, current screws are rotated upon insertion into a bone hole. Such rotation of the screw relative to the tendon can lead to damage, tearing, severing, or misalignment of the tendon. This misalignment can change the desired tension and positioning of the tendon, leading to cramping, discomfort, and anatomical asymmetry. Moreover, it can be difficult to achieve a desired depth of the implant with respect to the bone hole.
Accordingly, there remains a need for improved tissue anchoring devices and methods, and in particular to anchors and methods for use in a biceps tenodesis procedure.